The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[hullefc]

I eagerly await how the Tories spin this attack by the church.

Tories seek to avert rift with Church of England in wake of food bank report
Party blamed for rising use of food banks in church-funded report which links growing poverty to austerity measures
• Case studies: those relying on food banks

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• Patrick Wintour and Patrick Butler
• The Guardian, Monday 8 December 2014
• Jump to comments (804)

One Conservative minister claimed the increased use of food banks is due to greater publicity about their existence rather than austerity measures. Photograph: Getty
The Conservative party is seeking to avert one of its biggest rifts with the Church of England for decades as an all-party report on food banks warns that Britain is stalked by hunger caused by low pay, growing inequality, a harsh benefits sanctions regime and social breakdown.

The church-funded report says voluntary groups have been courageously fighting “a social Dunkirk” without the assistance of the government, and calls for urgent action to ensure ministers do more to combat hunger, including joining a new coordinating body and asking supermarkets to do more with surplus unsold products.

The initial Conservative reaction to leaks of the report – which is formally published today – was hostile, with one minister claiming the increased use of food banks was due to greater publicity about their existence".

The report insists that contrary to government claims, food banks have spread because of greater need. “More recently, rising national income no longer appears to be benefiting those at the bottom of our society,” it finds.

Matt Hancock, the business minister, was reluctant to accept this conclusion, saying one reason for rising food bank use “is because more people know about them. And the amount of people who work in food banks and give up their time, I applaud – I think that’s fantastic. But the central question here is how do you tackle these deep-ingrained problems of poverty, and the single best way through that is undoubtedly work.

“I’m a huge supporter of the food bank movement, but the truth is that poverty is coming down, partly because the number of people in jobs is going up.”

Incredible. This Tory fundamentalist actually get public money to spout such buffoonery from the den of iniquity.

 

[hullefc]

Is that chap but making a valid point re tee-total Muslims though? He's just starting a fact that in areas where non-drinkers are rising, pubs will see income fall. I'm not going to flatly defend anyone who is openly racist, but the guy just seems to be stating one factor. Your quote even says 'factors including', so this may be just one of many reasons he gave.

Pubs closed between 1980 and 1997 - 8 400.

Pubs closed between 1997-2010 - 8 600.

It is as obvious as the nose on his face that tea-total muslims were to 'blame' for the 8 400 that closed between 1980 and 1997. Oh wait. That was when the Tories were in power and muslims were not an 'issue'.

 

[toffee matt]

Farage is the biggest baffon in British politics.

Bar no-one

 

[The Cowboy]

Pubs closed between 1980 and 1997 - 8 400.

Pubs closed between 1997-2010 - 8 600.

It is as obvious as the nose on his face that tea-total muslims were to 'blame' for the 8 400 that closed between 1980 and 1997. Oh wait. That was when the Tories were in power and muslims were not an 'issue'.

I expect it was a range of reasons, much like it's a range of reasons now.

 

[hullefc]

And the great influx (or as some buffoon Tories and Farage would imply 'the great swamp') of tea total muslims into the countryside that has seen them 'drastically change' the racial and religious character of villages.


BBC news 18 September 2010
British village life 'dying out'
after pub closures
The Federation of Small Business (FSB)
said pubs were one of the
"cornerstones of traditional village life".
The report's co-authors, the British
Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said
893 pubs closed last year following the
recession and increased taxes.
Most recent figures (BBPA 2011, IPPR
2012) say that about 1,300 pubs closed
in Britain in 2011 – ‘slightly down’ to
2,400 closures experienced in 2010.

Or maybe it is not down to tea-totalling muslims. But that doesn't stop this Tory imbecile, Hodgson, wanting to blame muslims for political ends. What a bunch of fundamentalist race haters some Tories are.

 

[hullefc]

I expect it was a range of reasons, much like it's a range of reasons now.

Pubs closing isn't down to tea-totalling muslims as Hodgson says. And Hodgson should be made to make an apology for false information he spouts from the den of iniquity paid for out of the public purse.

 

[The Cowboy]

And the great influx (or as some buffoon Tories and Farage would imply 'the great swamp') of tea total muslims into the countryside that has seen them 'drastically change' the racial and religious character of villages.


BBC news 18 September 2010
British village life 'dying out'
after pub closures
The Federation of Small Business (FSB)
said pubs were one of the
"cornerstones of traditional village life".
The report's co-authors, the British
Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said
893 pubs closed last year following the
recession and increased taxes.
Most recent figures (BBPA 2011, IPPR
2012) say that about 1,300 pubs closed
in Britain in 2011 – ‘slightly down’ to
2,400 closures experienced in 2010.

Or maybe it is not down to tea-totalling muslims. But that doesn't stop this Tory imbecile, Hodgson, wanting to blame muslims for political ends. What a bunch of fundamentalist race haters some Tories are.

The guy mentions Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds. You've raised an article about village pubs.

 

[The Cowboy]

Pubs closing isn't down to tea-totalling muslims as Hodgson says. And Hodgson should be made to make an apology for false information he spouts from the den of iniquity paid for out of the public purse.

No he doesn't say that. You're not really grasping this, are you? He states, in the quote you used, 'factors including'. At no point does he singularly 'blame' muslims for pubs closing.

But you clearly have an agenda so I'll leave you to it.

 

[toffee matt]

Who is this bloke anyway?

Never heard of him. Not seen this story anywhere.

Seems like a fuss over not much

 

[OneTrueLegend]

I hate the general election, mostly because of the way that the votes are counted, where I live there has been a Labour majority of between 40,000 and 50,000 for the last 12 years, so for me to vote would be utterly useless.

I think the coalition has not worked, they have not delivered anything to help me directly and, true to form with the Tories, they have kicked the poorest people, in the teeth, whilst protecting the rich and priviliaged. It would be a scandal if they stayed in power.

The Lib dems for me are a non event now. They sold their soul for a little bit of power by not standing up for their core values and going along with obscene student loans that will condem a generation to either crippling debts or simply avoiding higher education altogether.

I hope UKIP dont get in, to me they are just a bunch of racist tories

Labour are the only viable candidate for me, but im not really convinced they can fix anything and Ed Milliband is not the right leader for me. But I would rather have him instead of Cameron in number 10.

 

[hullefc]

Who is this bloke anyway?

Never heard of him. Not seen this story anywhere.

Seems like a fuss over not much

He is Lord of Astley Abbotts.

Astley Abbotts is a village and civil parish in immediately north of Bridgnorth, straddling the B4373 Bridgnorth to Broseley road, located in Shropshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 396.[1]

He represents 396 people. The money he cons out of the public would be better of feeding the hungry in Tory Britain.

 

[The Cowboy]

I hate the general election, mostly because of the way that the votes are counted, where I live there has been a Labour majority of between 40,000 and 50,000 for the last 12 years, so for me to vote would be utterly useless.

I think the coalition has not worked, they have not delivered anything to help me directly and, true to form with the Tories, they have kicked the poorest people, in the teeth, whilst protecting the rich and priviliaged. It would be a scandal if they stayed in power.

The Lib dems for me are a non event now. They sold their soul for a little bit of power by not standing up for their core values and going along with obscene student loans that will condem a generation to either crippling debts or simply avoiding higher education altogether.

I hope UKIP dont get in, to me they are just a bunch of racist tories

Labour are the only viable candidate for me, but im not really convinced they can fix anything and Ed Milliband is not the right leader for me. But I would rather have him instead of Cameron in number 10.

What a great attitude to have.

 

[hullefc]

No he doesn't say that. You're not really grasping this, are you? He states, in the quote you used, 'factors including'. At no point does he singularly 'blame' muslims for pubs closing.

But you clearly have an agenda so I'll leave you to it.

Hodgson says a 'factor' is tea-totalling muslims for the closure of pubs. It is not a factor and he shouldn't have used his presence in the House of Lords to spout such grabage.

Speaking in defence of the major pub chains, the former MP said: “In areas of Nottingham, Leicester, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham the increase in the Muslim population who don’t drink leads to many pub closures. It is exceptionally hard for a publican who has put 10 years of his life into trying to build up a business to accept the inevitability of these tides of history.”

You're not really grasping this, are you? He states no other reason than the 'increase the Muslim population'. Hodgson doesn't want people to look more closely why pubs are closing, like the 8 400 that closed between 1980 and 1997, because he wants to create headlines 'blame the muslims' due to his fundamentalist beliefs.

But you clearly have an agenda and don't want to see this.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

What a great attitude to have.

What attitude am I suppposed to have?
Look at the manifestos of all the major parties, none of them are going to change very much, surely most people will look at "how does this affect me", before they look at anything else.

Or are you saying you would be happy to have less money, pay more tax or receieve worse public services, if it meant someone else could receive more money, pay less tax and have better services?

My main point is that under this coalition govenment most people are worse off than they were before. We pay more or the same in tax, have reduced or non-existent public services, the NHS is under threat, our public transport infrastructure is under threat, people are facing huge food bills and heating bills and the govenment are doing nothing about it.

At the same time Banks, corporations and high earners are not contributing what they should and the coalition are doing nothing about that as well. The gap between what people earn at the top and people at the bottom is getting wider. Comapnies are paying people lower wages with worse working conditions, because people are scared and happy to just "have a job".

If you support the coalition, tell me one good thing they have actually done and why they should stay in power?

 

[The Cowboy]

What attitude am I suppposed to have?
Look at the manifestos of all the major parties, none of them are going to change very much, surely most people will look at "how does this affect me", before they look at anything else.

Or are you saying you would be happy to have less money, pay more tax or receieve worse public services, if it meant someone else could receive more money, pay less tax and have better services?

My main point is that under this coalition govenment most people are worse off than they were before. We pay more or the same in tax, have reduced or non-existent public services, the NHS is under threat, our public transport infrastructure is under threat, people are facing huge food bills and heating bills and the govenment are doing nothing about it.

At the same time Banks, corporations and high earners are not contributing what they should and the coalition are doing nothing about that as well. The gap between what people earn at the top and people at the bottom is getting wider. Comapnies are paying people lower wages with worse working conditions, because people are scared and happy to just "have a job".

If you support the coalition, tell me one good thing they have actually done and why they should stay in power?

I don't support the coalition, I struggle to feel any support for any party. But it helps to try and look at the bigger picture rather than just the small parts that help you.

For example - I am not buying a house right now but I can see that the changes to stamp duty are a good policy that will help buyers at the bottom end of the scale.

For example - I will not be having any more kids but I can see that the changes to shared maternity/paternity are a good policy that will help new parents.

Some things don't always help you directly but if the economy can be improved you should/could see benefits indirectly.